AASA and NSBA Resource Sheet

• The exhaust from busses idling pollutes the air around and inside the bus and possibly inside the school building if the exhaust gets into heating and ventilating systems.
• Diesel exhaust contains small particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs to cause lung damage, respiratory problems, and exacerbate asthma and allergies.
• Diesel exhaust contains smog-forming and toxic air pollutants, some of which may be classified as carcinogens by the EPA and other organizations.
• Children are more susceptible to the pollution because they breathe 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults and their respiratory systems are still developing.
• Diesel exhaust ranks among the air pollutants that EPA believes pose the greatest public health risks.
• A recent EPA study in WestchesterCounty New York concluded that idling for more then three minutes generates more pollution than stopping and re-starting the engine. The pollution level from busses that idled more than three minutes had 66 percent more fine particles than pollution generated from shutting off buses and then restarting them.
• Approximately one-third of diesel school buses now in service were built before 1990. They can emit six times more pollution than buses built after 2004 and possibly 60 times more than new buses that meet 2007 diesel standards.

Possible steps to take:

1. Have school bus drivers turn off buses as soon as they arrive in the school yard.

2. Limit idling time during early morning warm-up.

3. Provide a space inside the school where drivers can wait.